My retro dream bike – Raven 4000

The amount of time I spent drooling over one these at my LBS back in the 90’s…

This one could be mine for EUR2500…

It won’t be though, no way I could sneak this one past my long-suffering wife!

What’s your ‘dream bike’ from ‘back in the day’?

Probably something from fat chance or Ibis, they so far out of my reach when I was 13/14, I could only dream 🙂

It won’t be though, no way I could sneak this one past my long-suffering wife!

If that was/is your dream bike, and you’ve physically got the cash, MTFU and buy it. Don’t let other people get in the way of your dreams.

Corratec TeamBow

Proper gorgeous 🙂

If that was/is your dream bike, and you’ve physically got the cash, MTFU and buy it. Don’t let other people get in the way of your dreams.

Are you married RealMan?

No, but I do have testicles.

either one of these or one of these not strictly the retro one but still 😀

Pace 200

mmm Klein..

i liked the gt lts

pace

I prefered the Mk1 Raven, looked better IMO. I am biased though, i owned one BITD and had another one last year.

[/url]
Windy Raven[/url] by ritcheyp20[/url], on Flickr

[/url]
Shadow[/url] by ritcheyp20[/url], on Flickr

The only bikes i would want now from BITD would be a Ritchey Softtail or a Plexus

GT STS with Spinergy wheels and Judy SLs

No, but I do have testicles.

Good answer. I think married men must have them removed during the honeymoon.

Mr Bishop sums it up nicely at 34sec:

My dream bike when I was a kid. Not that exotic my hero had one.
http://www.gregterzian.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/freestyler_original.jpg

Chas Roberts d.o.g.s.b.o.l.x

Have you ridden a Raven psychle? They really are good. My mate had a couple of them – I used one on the inaugural Big Bike Bash as I was building it up for him. Loved it. His one had a proprietary rear shock, that Fox stopped making – the one in your pic looks different. Very nice.

Merkin titaniums were the bikes I lusted after.

CR7

I started mtbing around when i was 12/13 about 1989/90. I spent the majority of my teenage years lusting after bikes in magazines i would never afford to own Klein Adroits and Attitudes, GT Zaskars, even my mate with the rich parents Pacific that was all XT2 but by far & ahead i’d say the bike the impressed me most was a Brodie I saw at a race in 1990/91. Some Irish guys who’d been living in Germany & working in a bike shop came home for a holiday & to do a race. One had an Attitude, one had a Brodie. They both weighed maybe 23-24lbs back when sub 30lbs was light & sub 26lbs was in the realm of the gods. It was a vision in red & white contrast paint job. Cooks Brothers Cranks, Grafton brakes, Ringle hubs & skewers. Stuff we’d only ever seen in magazines. If i saw that bike for sale tomorrow & i had the money I’d jump at it without a moments hesitation.

Is this the “ugly bike” thread renamed?

I would LOVE a GT LOBO. I think they look fantastic never ridden one tho.

I always wanted either a Zinn Centaur or a GT Xizang.

That Raven really is a lovely bike. I’d be more than happy to be riding around on it.

I used to sell Ravens and Paces, wish the Yorkshire boys still did a proper square bike

not sure if anyone would be interested – but my brother has a raven he’s looking to sell.

it’s been in my spare room for, well at least two house moves (so 10 years ish

had a Bounce around on it the other day, frame looks brand new, but the bearings in the lefty feels rough (probably because they have been dormant for so long) – as soon as i get round to it i’ll get some pics and stick em in the classifieds

Best one in the UK, apparently…

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cannondale-Raven-Carbon-4000-SX-Team-Lefty-Shimano-XTR-/260759442542?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item3cb679546e

Cannondale Ravens – you can hear them miles off – creak, creak, creak (CRACK! 😉 ). They do look nice though.

For me, my retro dream bike is an original GT LTS – they still ride nicely compared to more modern bikes as they were one of the first examples of a FS bike that worked well for XC/trail riding. (or just ‘riding’ as it was known back then…)

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=100366

Hardtail: GT Zaskar

Full Sus: GT Lobo or STS

I had a raven with a lefty when they’d just come out. It was the wildest looking thing I’d ever seen. It also had Coda disc brakes which were without doubt the worst piece of equipment I have ever ever cone across. Shameful on a bike of that price.

I’d go with a Zaskar like, especially with all those purple bits on, looks amazing. I was lucky (well depends which way you look at it) to own an STS Lobo and it was definately a love hate relationship. When it work and didn’t squeak like crazy it was awesome, but when it squeaked, as in whenever it got wet (!) it was hell.

Always wanted a Yo Eddy! My mates Uncle had one with a similar spec to above.

I always wanted a MountainCycle San Andreas after seeing Paul Smith riding on in MBUK.

Also really wanted a Pace RC200 with Pace carbon forks and Cook Bros cranks.

I now long for a perfect GT Xixang

the best paintjob there has ever been.

I think if Klein could have kept going a bit longer they could’ve thrived in the modern day market 🙄 looking at how nice there stuff looked, even in the Trek days.

De Kerf 853 Team Special in racing green OR the Fuquay Chipps tested in Pro MTB.

Jimster, I still have that Fuquay… 🙂
Paid money for it and everything. It comes out every now and again.

Great thread! Even though I’ve been lucky enough to ride many great bikes over the years, there are still some bikes I still lust after. A quick list

Ritchey P21
Trimble
Klein Attitude (must be green, white, pink and with the (later-recalled?) angled forks though…)
Pace RC100
Yeti FRO
…and probably more

Ritchey Plexus – damn I would have killed for one of these

still would in fact 🙂

Had quite a few Ravens through my old shop in Oz as well Psychle, and they were pretty drool worthy. Which was your lbs? Not that many ‘dale dealers in Oz bitd…

Oh – and I really wanted one of these as well….

It also had Coda disc brakes which were without doubt the worst piece of equipment I have ever ever cone across.

Oh yeah, they were utterly crepe! single piston hydraulics…

Was always a San Andreas for me. Did end up with the Troy Lee Edge though…

What’s been done to that Merlin?

Mine might have some modern parts, but at least its reasonably tasteful

Had quite a few Ravens through my old shop in Oz as well Psychle, and they were pretty drool worthy. Which was your lbs? Not that many ‘dale dealers in Oz bitd…

Top Brand Cycles in Townsville, North Queensland… they made (and still make!) a fortune from cashed up Aussie soldiers (there’s 20000 of them in the town 🙂 )